Can't find a house plan

[rox]

Re: Can\'t find a house plan

Alan,

Ahhh I some how missed hw this is a Guest House. This is not your primary home... ok now that makes a whole lot of difference.

I had good quality pocket door in my last home and had vey heavy solid 6 panel oak doors in them and they were great. Jsut great. I know another posted negatively on them, but speaking fomr experience I had them, never had a pinch of problems in 12 years and i recomend them. Others may wish to cimment pro and con on their personal experience with pocket doors.

I was going to suggest this also but I had so many suggestions I thought I should quit. If oyu wife like the idea of a sink in that back porch how about a fireplace?

When BMAC built his home did you see my post about using storm/screen doors to finish off the porch? It was the cheapest way to build a screened in posrch. Use these doors for your side walls in the porches and simply don't drill out the hole for the doornob. In the summer you insert the screens and in the winter you insert the windows. Not fancy but it is low cost and importantly gives you an enclosed room for the cold season.

http://www.spiritelements.com/ProductDetail.aspx?c=1246&p=2087

 

[rox]

Re: Can\'t find a house plan

Alan,

Ahhh I some how missed hw this is a Guest House. This is not your primary home... ok now that makes a whole lot of difference.

I had good quality pocket door in my last home and had vey heavy solid 6 panel oak doors in them and they were great. Jsut great. I know another posted negatively on them, but speaking fomr experience I had them, never had a pinch of problems in 12 years and i recomend them. Others may wish to cimment pro and con on their personal experience with pocket doors.

I was going to suggest this also but I had so many suggestions I thought I should quit. If oyu wife like the idea of a sink in that back porch how about a fireplace?

When BMAC built his home did you see my post about using storm/screen doors to finish off the porch? It was the cheapest way to build a screened in posrch. Use these doors for your side walls in the porches and simply don't drill out the hole for the doornob. In the summer you insert the screens and in the winter you insert the windows. Not fancy but it is low cost and importantly gives you an enclosed room for the cold season.

http://www.spiritelements.com/ProductDetail.aspx?c=1246&p=2087

 

[txdon]

Re: Can\'t find a house plan

AlanL, Drainponddesign gave a good reference. The Austin building department highly recommends that builders use the builders guides FOR LOCATION AND CLIMATE of the home.

You are located in the Mixed-Humid area of the U. S. and should incorporate the designs for that region. http://www.buildingsciencepress.com/books.asp?CatID=1

I'm in the Hot -Humid area. I got the book and it has really opened my eyes to what should be done. The book really makes sense and a lot of homes are not being built the best way possible. For example you should not put the AC system in the attic above the insulation and if you have a crawlspace it should not be vented, the book tells why and it makes perfect sense.

Good luck with your designers. We had a designer come to the farm. We sat at a picnic table where the house will be and he listened to what we wanted in a house and drew out the design to fit our needs, the site, and the area.

 

[txdon]

Re: Can\'t find a house plan

AlanL, Drainponddesign gave a good reference. The Austin building department highly recommends that builders use the builders guides FOR LOCATION AND CLIMATE of the home.

You are located in the Mixed-Humid area of the U. S. and should incorporate the designs for that region. http://www.buildingsciencepress.com/books.asp?CatID=1

I'm in the Hot -Humid area. I got the book and it has really opened my eyes to what should be done. The book really makes sense and a lot of homes are not being built the best way possible. For example you should not put the AC system in the attic above the insulation and if you have a crawlspace it should not be vented, the book tells why and it makes perfect sense.

Good luck with your designers. We had a designer come to the farm. We sat at a picnic table where the house will be and he listened to what we wanted in a house and drew out the design to fit our needs, the site, and the area.

 

[Alan L.]

Re: Can\'t find a house plan

Rox, no, I didn't make myself clear. This will be our primary house. The 879 square feet we now live in, which is inside a metal building, will become the guest house.

 

[Alan L.]

Re: Can\'t find a house plan

Rox, no, I didn't make myself clear. This will be our primary house. The 879 square feet we now live in, which is inside a metal building, will become the guest house.

 

[Alan L.]

Re: Can\'t find a house plan

I think the pocket doors make since in some areas, if they can be relied upon.

We might try to design part of the porch as a screened in porch, but primarily we want an open porch in the back. Frankly, we don't spend much time sitting out on the porch during skeeter season. Its just too dang hot. When it comes time to relax, I like the cool A/C. But I do love sitting outside in the spring and fall, and many times in the dead of winter its in the 50s and 60s in the daytime.

 

[Alan L.]

Re: Can\'t find a house plan

I think the pocket doors make since in some areas, if they can be relied upon.

We might try to design part of the porch as a screened in porch, but primarily we want an open porch in the back. Frankly, we don't spend much time sitting out on the porch during skeeter season. Its just too dang hot. When it comes time to relax, I like the cool A/C. But I do love sitting outside in the spring and fall, and many times in the dead of winter its in the 50s and 60s in the daytime.

 

[Alan L.]

Re: Can\'t find a house plan

TxDon, I see so many homes around being built with the HVAC in the attic ABOVE the insulation, and this is not what we plan. Our plan is to insulate the roof so that the HVAC and ductwork is all in conditioned space. The foundation will be slab, so no ventilation issues there, but what little attic there is will have no ventilation, but will be sealed off. We plan to use Sealection 500 or Icynene foam insulation in the walls and roof, and we are told the "attic" will only be 7 degrees different from the actual living space.

I took a look at the website. The graphic puts us in the mixed-humid zone like you say, but I am set on the conditioned attic. I just don't see cold as any kind of issue here. Its all about the summer heat. We're pretty near the border to hot-humid anyway, where they recommend the nonvented attics.

I think I'll order the book, there is some good information there. The vent from below the slab seems like a great idea to me, I wonder how many vents to put in. Radon can be a very serious problem.

Thanks for this very useful information!

By the way, what did you end up doing for insulation, and HVAC location?

 

[Alan L.]

Re: Can\'t find a house plan

TxDon, I see so many homes around being built with the HVAC in the attic ABOVE the insulation, and this is not what we plan. Our plan is to insulate the roof so that the HVAC and ductwork is all in conditioned space. The foundation will be slab, so no ventilation issues there, but what little attic there is will have no ventilation, but will be sealed off. We plan to use Sealection 500 or Icynene foam insulation in the walls and roof, and we are told the "attic" will only be 7 degrees different from the actual living space.

I took a look at the website. The graphic puts us in the mixed-humid zone like you say, but I am set on the conditioned attic. I just don't see cold as any kind of issue here. Its all about the summer heat. We're pretty near the border to hot-humid anyway, where they recommend the nonvented attics.

I think I'll order the book, there is some good information there. The vent from below the slab seems like a great idea to me, I wonder how many vents to put in. Radon can be a very serious problem.

Thanks for this very useful information!

By the way, what did you end up doing for insulation, and HVAC location?